Spontaneous liver rupture in a patient with peliosis hepatis

Peliosis hepatis (PH) is a rare pathological entity. PH varies from minimal asymptomatic lesions to larger massive lesions that may present with cholestasis, liver failure, portal hypertension, avascular mass lesion, or even spontaneous rupture.

A research article to be published on November 21, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team from Inha University School of Medicine reported a case of a 20-year-old male patient with aplastic anemia who presented with hemoperitoneum. This patient had received long-term treatment with oxymetholone, and his imaging findings and extraphysiological changes were consistent with spontaneous hepatic rupture with PH. The patient was salvaged from a life-threatening hemorrhage by performing a right hemihepatectomy.

The researchers drew a conclusion that PH should be kept in mind by clinicians for patients with risk factors. Although spontaneous regression of PH can occur in some patients, timely recognition and early treatment are essential to prevent life-threatening complications from the disease.

Reference: Choi SK, Jin JS, Cho SG, Choi SJ, Kim CS, Choe YM, Lee KY. Spontaneous liver rupture in a patient with peliosis hepatis: A case report. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(43): 5493-5497

http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/15/5493.asp

Correspondence to: Keon-Young Lee, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, Inha University School of Medicine, 7-206, 3-Ga Sinheung-Dong, Jung-Gu, Incheon 400-711, South Korea. 196087@inha.ac.kr

Telephone: +82-32-8903432 Fax: +82-32-8903097

About World Journal of Gastroenterology

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.